We are charged to sing out in joy — God answered our
prayers and rescued us from the bondage of Egyptian slavery:

“I am Eternal your God Who raises you up from the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.” (Psalms 81:11)

What is the connection between our redemption from Egypt and
“opening our mouths wide” to receive God’s blessings?

Ongoing Elevation

A careful reading of this verse will note two peculiarities about the word ha-ma’alcha,
‘Who raises you up.’ First of all, it does not say that God ‘took
you out’ of Egypt, but that He ‘raises you up.’ It was not merely the act
of leaving Egypt that made its eternal impact on the destiny of the Jewish
nation, and through it, all of humanity. The Exodus was an act of elevation,
lifting up the souls of Israel.

Additionally, the verse is not in the past tense but in the present — ‘Who raises you up.’
Is it not referring to a historical event? We may understand
this in light of the Midrash (Tanchuma Mikeitz 10) concerning the creation
of the universe. The Midrash states that when God commanded the formation
of the rakiya, the expanse between the upper and lower waters (Gen.
1:6), the divide between the heavens and the earth began to expand. This
expansion would have continued indefinitely had the Creator not halted
it by commanding, ‘Enough!’ In other words, unless they are meant only
for a specific hour, Divine acts are eternal, continuing forever. So too, the
spiritual ascent of ‘raising you up from Egypt’ is a perpetual act of God,
influencing and uplifting the Jewish people throughout the generations.

There is no limit to this elevation, no end to our spiritual aspirations.
The only limitations come from us, if we choose to restrict our wishes and
dreams. But once we know the secret of ha-ma’alcha and internalize the
message of a Divine process that began in Egypt and continues to elevate us,
we can aim for ever-higher spiritual goals.

It is instructive to note the contrast between the Hebrew word for ‘Egypt’ — Mitzrayim,
literally, ‘limitations’ — and the expression, ‘open up
wide.’ God continually frees us from the confining restraints of Mitzrayim,
enabling us to strive for the highest, most expansive aspirations.

Now we may understand why the verse concludes with the charge,
‘Open your mouth wide.’ We should not restrict ourselves. We need to
rise above all self-imposed limitations and transcend all mundane goals and
petty objectives. If we can ‘open our mouths wide’ and recognize our true
potential for spiritual greatness, then ‘I will fill it’ — God will help us attain
ever-higher levels of holiness.